The King's Speech

Let me start by saying that I am writing this in a fever-induced delirium from my second bout with food poisoning. I am currently losing. Proceed with caution.

Last night was unforgettable. Bangladesh came from behind to beat the heavily-favored Irish National Team (sorry, Michelle) in the Cricket World Cup, which is being help jointly by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. Below is the match highlight report:

• Bangladesh, bowled out for 205 after taking first strike in the day-night match, hit back to dismiss the leading non-Test nation for 178 in 45 overs at the packed Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
• Former captain Mohammad Ashraful, who scored just one run, turned an unlikely hero with the ball by claiming two top-order wickets with his part-time off-spin.
• Skipper Shakib Al Hasan also picked up two wickets with left-arm spin before seamer Shafiul Islam polished off the tail in quick time with 4-21 from eight overs.

If you're like me, none of the above makes any sense at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're making the whole thing up as they go along. At any rate, the city exploded with marches, riots, and celebrations after the win. Once my friends and I heard the noises of pots and pans banging together on the streets below, we decided to investigate. There were about ten people screaming and cheering, walking through the streets of our neighborhood. We decided to join to small-ish gathering, just to see what was going on. Ten turned to twenty, which turned to forty, which turned to eighty. Like bacteria dividing again and again, the group swelled to probably 200 celebrants- all screaming BANGLADESH! (well, there was some other part of the cheer, but... i don't know what they were saying as they were screaming in Bangla). 

So here we are, seven white North Americans in a sea of Bangladeshis, watching in awe as they pulled people out of cars, told rickshaws to ring their bells, surfed on top of moving cars, and raised hell in ways I've only seen in Morgantown after we beat Pitt. Well, the difference was these people were sober. This cannot be said for Morgantown well, ever. 

Anyway, the leaders of the posse eventually stopped to address their followers. Being white (and therefore a celebrity) they wanted to hear from one of us. The next thing I know, I am being propelled to the front of the crowd and pushed on top of a rickety shed to address "the fans". I gave a short (and eloquent, if I do say so myself) speech and then everyone cheered and clapped because, my God, and AMERICAN is in our midst! 

After another twenty minutes of rabble rousing, we broke off and headed for home- wondering if all that had, in fact, really happened. Though next time I join a frenzied mob, I'll be sure to jot down some notes first. 

An LA Times Story on the chaos that unfortunately took a violent turn. Mom, it's fine. We were far from this part of town. :) 

One Killed, Ten Injured in Cricket Celebrations

The Paths are Many...

or, Nepal III. 

There are times in life, so I hear, when understandings, questions, and answers pop into your head in a way that makes it seem as if it might explode. The two days spent in Nepal's ancient capital provided me with so many of these moments that I began to wonder if I knew anything at all. 

I read an academic volume on Hinduism while on the planes and buses than took us around Nepal, and it occurred to me that it is much different than I thought. They do, incidentally, worship any number of the gods and goddesses that pervade their intricate mythology. However, these wild, pagan, multi-armed entities are merely incarnations of a singular, supreme being- Brahaman. Since Brahaman is unknowable and unfathomable to the human mind, worshiping his incarnations is simply easier on the human psyche. For this reason, Mohammad, Jesus, and other founders of major religions are worshiped alongside Shiva, Ganesh, and Krishna. Hindu rituals and stories in some respects parallel so closely those of Judaism and Christianity that you wonder if it's really any coincidence at all. And while I prefer my own two-armed incarnation of God, it is astounding that two religions that, on their face, are so wildly different can be so strikingly similar. 

The two Buddhist stupas we visited are both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites whose history dates back to the 700s AD. Throughout the entire temple area, Tibetan monks are reciting the mantra "Om Mane Padme Hum". There is no direct translation of this phrase; it is the summation of all of the Buddha's teachings, as well as the sacred mantra of samsara, the circle of life and reincarnation. The stupa is the most peaceful place I have ever been. Everywhere there are people meditating, monks chanting, incense burning, and a quiet realization that peace comes from within. 

So being exposed to two completely new religions on their turf made me realize how wrong it is to assert one religion as superior to another. We're all interconnected- back to the very beginning. In the words of our own god of Public Health, Paul Farmer: "equity, then, is the only acceptable goal".  

Nepal I-

Bangladesh is a lovely place, really it is (who am I trying to convince- you or myself?). That being said, I took the first opportunity I had to get the $#&% out of here. There was a string of national holidays that gave me a nice six day vacation, so my Canadian friends and I decided to head to Nepal.

We booked the flight and a three day safari two days before departure and set out to see "The World's Only Hindu Kingdom" for ourselves.

After soaring over the Himalayas and touching down at the airport, it became immediately clear that we were entering a country even less developed than the one we left. However, since it is a more tourist-oriented place, the infrastructure of hotels, restaurants, and activities is nearly that of the US or anywhere else. After a rainy night in Kathmandu, we woke up early for the six hour bus ride to Chitwan National Park.

I'm not sure, but could have had a postcard slapped against my face for the entirety of the drive. All I saw were beautiful mountain views and cute children and old ladies selling tomatoes. I'm sure you've seen the pictures- it's just so hard to capture how....unspoiled it is.

Our safari days were incredible. On our jeep safari, we came upon a sleeping sloth bear and evidently scared the crap out of her because she charged the jeep, decided that was a dumb idea, got mad, and charged it again before slinking into the jungle. I swear I could hear her muttering under her breath. We saw a wild rhino grazing. And some elephants, wild boars, deer, crocodiles....basically it was the Jungle Book and I was playing the part of Mowgli.

It was so nice to breathe fresh air, feel the sun, and walk outdoors without millions of horns honking. Check out the pictures on facebook if you haven't had the chance. It's not hard to make this place look beautiful.

Day Thirty-Seven

So tomorrow marks exactly two months until I go home. That means that I've been here for exactly thirty-seven days. After more than a month, I can go along for several hours like I know Dhaka intimately. Then, something completely new slaps me across the face and I'm as disoriented as ever. However, I do feel like I've noticed some trends in the midst of the chaos. So in honor of my first month, I've made a list of what I've learned (or what I think I've learned) in my short time here.

Things I've Learned:

• You can't stop a car just by walking in front of it 
• The middle finger means the same thing in just about every language
• Children are always adorable
• Never take ________ for granted 
• Malaria pills give you really funny/painful sunburns 
• KFC is universally delicious 
• 90's pop is still 'in' in some parts of the world
• Skirts and dresses are manly if the guys wearing them are carrying 50 lbs on their heads
• Being poor doesn't mean you're miserable 
• Being miserable doesn't mean you're poor 
• Open sewer drains can also conveniently be roadside toilets 
• Tolerance is akin to peace
• If it smells bad, it's usually gross.
• People are poor because they are powerless. 

Politics 101

Let me start by saying this: I roll my eyes and mutter obscenities under my breath at most things the Republican party says and does. In fact, given the choice between Sarah Palin and a band of Sandpeople from Star Wars for President- I'd go with the Sandpeople. However, I can appreciate the Republicans in Congress for several things.
1) They show up for work
2) They are doing what they think is right for the US
3) They are not overly slanderous
4) They're (on the whole) no more corrupt than any other group of politicians
5) They are not actually Sandpeople

Like the United States, Bangladesh has two major parties. These two parties, the BNP and the Arwami League, have switched power at every election since independence in 1971. The leaders of the current parties are both women (yay) who HATE each other (ehhh, ok) and will do everything in their power to stop development/advancement/progress if it's the other party who's implementing the change (boo). These two women loathe each other so much that it's infected the rest of their respective parties, the Members of Parliament, and by association the entire country. There is no such thing as an "independent" here. In order to vote you must belong to a party. If you are a member of one party, you are automatically an enemy of the other. News is badly slanted depending on which paper you read or channel you watch (with very few noble exceptions).  To show that they will not work with the sitting government, the MPs who are members of the opposition party do not actually show up for Parliamentary debate. Instead, they organize "hartel" (strikes) throughout the country to "take politics to the people" and show the opposition party how unpopular and corrupt it is. The sad thing is, they have a point. The sadder thing is, they're the pot calling the kettle black. Not surprisingly, not much gets done. ever.

Sound familiar? In short, it's where I think America will end up if we don't get our act together.

We had our first taste of hartel today. For us, it tastes great. Most of the shops and offices are closed, so I didn't have to go into work, and there is no traffic since everyone is busy either protesting or protesting the protesters. But it's depressing to see such a viciously independent country be brought to this. Bangladesh deserves a government that gives a damn; one that looks out for the people- not just a handful of party cronies. This dispute between these two women has halted so much progress that it's disgusting. Of course, there are many more factors contributing to the gross ineptness of the government- corruption being #1. However, I can't help but think that the country will be a lot better off when both the party leaders decide to kick the bucket.

So even though I think John Boehner looks like a withered carrot with a golf bag surgically attached, he's still the Speaker of the House. He still comes to work every day and does what he thinks is right for our country. That's more than can be said for this place. However, Bangladesh is a textbook example of what can happen when politicians-and by extension the people- refuse to cooperate with each other.

So I'll be the first to stop rolling my eyes.

Ami Oshusto

Well, it's happened. That veritable necessity of traveling in the developing world, the damn-it-all-to-hell-why-did-I-eat-that : food poisoning. This particular bacteria and I have never met, and I don't think I'd like to see him again.  I spent all of last night and most of today in the fetal position before I started to feel human again. Luckily, I had visited the pirated DVD store the day before yesterday and so I was fully stocked. Also, I am extremely grateful for the troupe of Canadians who live on my hall. They've been really nice, as Canadians always are- it's in their genes you know.

Anyway, given that I was, ahem, in a good thinking spot all day, I started to realize that even though I feel like crap- I'm having an incredible adventure. I'm in a place that most people have never even heard of, let alone go to visit. Not a day goes by that I don't experience something completely new and out of my comfort zone. And honestly, I'm having a great time (present condition excluded.). So, what's 24 hours of unpleasantness in the grand scheme of things? As I see it, I'm pretty lucky- puke bucket and all.